{"id":68857,"date":"2020-11-26T14:25:58","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T12:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=68857"},"modified":"2026-01-29T15:49:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:49:01","slug":"black-friday-cheat-sheet-for-smes-new-to-e-commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/black-friday-cheat-sheet-for-smes-new-to-e-commerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Friday cheat sheet for SMEs new to e-commerce"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/business-planning\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Business planning<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBlack Friday cheat sheet for SMEs new to e-commerce\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-11-26T14:25:58+02:00\">November 26, 2020<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Black Friday cheat sheet for SMEs new to e-commerce\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/black-friday-cheat-sheet-for-smes-new-to-e-commerce\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/vireshharduth\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/04\/Viresh-Harduth-Sage-2-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Viresh Harduth<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The COVID-19 lockdown forced many businesses online, and for some small and medium businesses, it would have been their first venture into e-commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re one of those businesses, virtual Black Friday is a perfect opportunity for you to reach more customers than ever before. But a word of caution: If your online store is difficult to navigate, requires endless clicks to get through checkout, and doesn\u2019t have a secure payment gateway, it will be a very dark day indeed \u2013 for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To grab and retain buyers\u2019 attention this Black Friday, your store should reduce friction, enhance the shopping experience, and engage your customers every step of the way. Importantly, it should pass the \u201cthree S test\u201d, which means it must be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Simple,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seamless, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Secure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few ways to achieve this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-easy-does-it\"><strong>Easy does it<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your customers must be able to find what they want, quickly and easily. This is especially true on Black Friday when they\u2019re switching between multiple online stores. You need an intuitive, mobile-friendly website with excellent search functionality that seamlessly guides visitors through the sales funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chat to a user experience (UX) designer about how you can improve your site\u2019s usability and engagement. They\u2019ll help you find the balance between design and functionality, and integrate features like geolocation and progress bars to enhance the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-two-birds-one-stone\"><strong>Two birds, one stone<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Present all your Black Friday deals in one place to encourage cross-selling and upselling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a buyer might visit your site with the intention of purchasing a Black Friday discounted beauty treatment voucher. When she arrives in your online shop, she sees the 3-for-2 deal on nail polish and adds it to her cart. Or she might opt for the premium voucher when presented with more options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t present new offers to customers when they\u2019re just about to checkout. It not only distracts them from the end goal (and yours), but it might frustrate them to the point where they abandon their carts in the virtual aisle for you to unpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-speaking-of-carts\"><strong>Speaking of carts\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing will send your customers to the competition faster than a badly designed online shopping cart. It should always be clearly visible and show the total cost as shoppers add and remove items. Be transparent about shipping and other fees, since extra cost is one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/sleeknote.com\/blog\/cart-abandonment-statistics\">main reason<\/a>s people abandon their carts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you offer free shipping over a certain spend, make this offer clear and compelling. Use phrases like, \u201cSpend R53 more to get free shipping!\u201d I know I\u2019d rather add a R70-item to my cart than pay R60 for shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advanced cloud-based business management solutions offer powerful, fully integrated retail capabilities such as multi-channel support and Point of Sale and omnichannel commerce solutions. With the ability to handle your entire retail operation from the cloud \u2013 from purchasing to warehousing, sales, and financials \u2013 retail software provides insights that empower you to increase revenue, enhance the customer experience, streamline sales, and improve inventory accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-trust-hard-won-easily-lost\"><strong>Trust: Hard won, easily lost<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Clear, transparent communication is the most authentic way to build trust with your customers. Make your contact details clearly visible so customers can get hold of you if something goes wrong or they have questions \u2013 and ensure your customer service department is fully staffed to deal with a potential influx of queries on Black Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other ways to earn trust include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sharing positive testimonials and reviews;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Engaging with your followers on social media and responding quickly to build credibility; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrating with trusted payment providers offering a variety of payment methods, such as card, instant EFT, PayPal, and barcode or QR code scanning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-speed-get-in-get-the-deal-get-out\"><strong>Speed: Get in, get the deal, get out <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s all shoppers want on Black Friday. Complicated forms and checkout processes cause friction and irritation. They should be quick and painless to complete and only ask for the information you need to complete the transaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Optimise the checkout process using form design best practices, like having a \u201cfull name\u201d field rather than separate ones for &#8220;first name\u201d and \u201clast name\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides, don\u2019t make it compulsory for shoppers to create an account to buy from you. Being forced to create an account is the <a href=\"https:\/\/sleeknote.com\/blog\/cart-abandonment-statistics\">second biggest reason<\/a> people abandon their carts. Let them shop as guests \u2013 it\u2019s faster and more convenient for first-time customers who you can charm into opening an account through your after-sales service or rewards programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the sales process, thank your customers for their purchase and explain what happens next, like when they can expect delivery, or how to access their e-book or digital voucher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holding their hand throughout the process builds trust, encourages repeat business, and could result in a positive review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-make-it-easy-to-give-back\"><strong>Make it easy to give back<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For every South African that will splurge this Black Friday, there\u2019s another who doesn\u2019t have the luxury of disposable income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-small-businesses-can-use-black-friday-madness-for-the-greater-good\/\">Provide an option to add a donation<\/a> to a local charity when they check out, donate a portion of your sales for the day to a cause you care about or encourage shoppers to add a care hamper to their carts, which you can distribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E-commerce gives your small business an opportunity to reach more customers and to make an impact in your community this Black Friday. What\u2019s more, it cushions you against the effects of things like COVID-19 because you can trade when under strict lockdown (not to mention the ability to operate 24\/7).\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">7 tip to supercharge your business decisions <\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Discover the seven powerful insights that can help keep your business healthy, wealthy and wise.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b05973c1-bed3-436e-998d-2a33acc6c95f\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/11\/Black-Friday-1675x1275-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Shop owner holding tablet\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/11\/Black-Friday-1675x1275-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/business-continuity\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness continuity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/entrepreneurship\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEntrepreneurship\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/making-financial-decisions\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmaking financial decisions\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-76286 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-accountants tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-data-analysis tag-financial-insights tag-making-financial-decisions tag-profit-loss tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1213\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/11\/HR-and-Payroll-image--1213x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/11\/HR-and-Payroll-image--684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/11\/HR-and-Payroll-image--768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/11\/HR-and-Payroll-image--1213x810.jpg 1213w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div 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Discover how to take control of accounts payable reconciliation and optimise your payment process.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-76152 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-bookkeeping tag-business-management tag-financial-insights tag-making-financial-decisions tag-profit-loss business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business 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class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-01T16:45:51+02:00\">May 1, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">12 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccounts receivable turnover ratio formula: definition, importance, and examples\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-76118 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-financial-insights tag-making-financial-decisions business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/accounts-payable-fraud-guide\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-90134712-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Meeting between two people\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-90134712-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-90134712-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-90134712-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-30T15:53:39+02:00\">April 30, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">12 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccounts payable fraud prevention: What is it and how to prevent it\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-75952 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-artificial-intelligence tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-continuity tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-business-strategy tag-staying-competitive tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/budget-sme-actions\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-06T13:07:12+02:00\">March 6, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tSouth Africa Budget 2026: 5 actions all SMEs must take now\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-75887 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-trends-insights tag-accountants tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-financial-insights tag-hr-payroll tag-making-financial-decisions tag-news-insights tag-staying-competitive tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tax-year-end-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Two women in an office discussing fringe benefits types and rules\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-27T14:40:07+02:00\">February 27, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tTax year-end 2026: calendar and checklist for South African SMEs\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The COVID-19 lockdown forced many businesses online, and for some small and medium businesses, it would have been their first venture into e-commerce. If you\u2019re one of those businesses, virtual Black Friday is a perfect opportunity for you to reach more customers than ever before. But a word of caution: If your online store is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":812,"featured_media":68330,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,30],"tags":[350,186,335],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[15,16],"imagine_tag":[85,86],"coauthors":[413],"class_list":["post-68857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-planning","category-daily-money","tag-business-continuity","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-making-financial-decisions","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Viresh Harduth","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/07\/resize-1675x1275-46.jpg","imagine_tags":{"85":"Small business","86":"Start up business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/68330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=68857"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=68857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}